You won't believe how easy this Healthy Cream of Broccoli Soup is it is to make! With only 5 simple ingredients, it's the perfect recipe for lazy lunches and light, simple dinners.
Sometimes there's nothing better a hot bowl of soup when it's chilly out. It's healthy, soothing and so comforting. This cream of broccoli soup is warm, satisfying and a healthy addition to any lunch or dinner.
Pair it with a kale Cesar salad or French onion grilled cheese for a filling and delicious meal. Or, keep it simple and serve this creamy broccoli soup with just a thick slice of crusty bread. I especially love a soup made with a single vegetable, like a carrot, or in this case, broccoli!
What I love about this recipe is how creamy and decadent it is without needing to add cream or too much flour. If you want, you can add a splash of heavy cream at the end, but it’s really not necessary – it’s ultra creamy and rich even without it! With a few basic swaps, you can make this recipe gluten-free and even dairy-free or vegan, which is perfect for accommodating family members or dinner guests.
Why this recipe works
- Only 5 basic ingredients are needed and ready within 30 minutes!
- Using broccoli stems reduces food waste, saves money, and adds more nutrition to this soup.
- Blending the soup gives it a creamy texture without loads of extra cream.
- Can be made without cream for a dairy-free or vegan option.
Ingredient Notes
- Broccoli- The star ingredient! Skip the crowns and choose the entire broccoli head. You’ll use the stems and the florets for this healthy and creamy broccoli soup!
- Flour - Adding flour to the sauteed vegetables helps to thicken this soup without adding too much (or any) heavy cream. You can easily make this recipe gluten-free by using a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour. Alternatively, you can add a peeled and diced Yukon Gold potato to the soup along with the broccoli, which will help make it creamy and thick once blended.
Helpful Equipment
- Immersion Blender - An immersion blender allows you to blend the soup without having to remove it from the pot it cooked in, so it saves time and is way easier to clean up. You can also use a traditional blender,
Step by step instructions
- Add olive oil to a large saucepan and heat over medium-high. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Saute for about 4 minutes or until just starting to soften. Add in the garlic and cook for an additional minute, then add the broccoli.
- Sprinkle flour in the pan and toss to coat the vegetables. Add the water, stir, then cover the pan and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the broccoli is tender.
- Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until it's completely smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, carefully puree in batches using a standard blender.
- If needed, thin out the soup with more water, then season with more salt and pepper.
- If using heavy cream, stir it into the soup, then serve hot with plenty of grated cheddar cheese and more freshly cracked black pepper.
Tips for success
- DO NOT use a bullet style blender to blend soup unless it has cooled down completely. Blending a hot liquid in a bullet style blender can cause it to explode upon opening because it doesn't allow for any steam to escape, which can cause burns and a huge mess.
- If using a standard blender (rather than an immersion blender), you’ll need to work in batches– very carefully! Make sure to open the top of the blender often to avoid the steam creating too much pressure in the blender.
- If you want a dairy-free or vegan version of this soup, just skip the heavy cream or use a plant based cashew cream and garnish with dairy-free shredded cheese.
- If your broccoli stems have hard, woody spots, use a vegetable peeler or sharp knife to cut them off. The rest of the stems will soften and blend into the soup.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this broccoli soup as is or add any of these simple garnishes to make it your own!
- A dollop of sour cream
- Crumbled bacon
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Minced chives, scallions or parsley
FAQS About Healthy Cream of Broccoli Soup
This cream of broccoli soup can be made without cream for a light and low-calorie meal. Plus, it’s loaded with plenty of broccoli, which is low in calories and has 135% of your daily value for vitamin C and 2.5 grams of fiber per cup.
Adding flour to the vegetables and sauteing for a minute before adding the water will help the soup to thicken. You can also add a peeled and diced Yukon Gold potato to help make it thick and creamy.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you leave out the cream, this soup can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat, add the soup to a small pot and heat over low-medium heat until warm. To reheat in the microwave, cover the bowl and warm for 45-60 seconds or until heated through.
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Easy Healthy Cream of Broccoli Soup
Cream of broccoli soup is a classic. With only 5 humble ingredients (not including water, salt and pepper), it's the perfect recipe for for lazy lunches and light, simple suppers. Finished with sprinkling of sharp cheddar cheese, this soup is warm, healthy and ultra satisfying.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: soup
- Method: simmered
- Cuisine: vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 large heads broccoli, roughly chopped into even sized pieces (stems and all)
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 4 cups water, plus more to thin out if necessary
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup heavy cream (optional)
- sharp cheddar cheese, grated, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a medium-large sauce pan and sauté the onions with a pinch of salt for about 4 minutes or until just starting to soften. Add in the garlic and cook one minute more, then add in all the broccoli.
- Sprinkle flour over top then toss to coat all the vegetables. Pour the water over, stir, then cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until all the broccoli is tender.
- Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until it's completely smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, carefully puree in batches using a standard blender.
- Thin out the soup with more water if necessary, season with more salt and pepper, and add in the heavy cream if using.
- Serve hot with plenty of grated cheddar cheese and more freshly cracked black pepper.
Notes
- DO NOT use a bullet style blender to blend soup unless it has cooled down completely. Blending a hot liquid in a bullet style blender can cause it to explode upon opening because it doesn't allow for any steam to escape, which can cause burns and a huge mess.
- If using a standard blender (rather than an immersion blender), you’ll need to work in batches– very carefully! Make sure to open the top of the blender often to avoid the steam creating too much pressure in the blender.
- If you want a dairy-free or vegan version of this soup, just skip the heavy cream or use a plant based cashew cream and garnish with dairy-free shredded cheese.
- If your broccoli stems have hard, woody spots, use a vegetable peeler or sharp knife to cut them off. The rest of the stems will soften and blend into the soup.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 293
- Sugar: 9.4 g
- Sodium: 755.4 mg
- Fat: 14.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 36.7 g
- Protein: 14.1 g
- Cholesterol: 16.8 mg
Keywords: easy, broccoli, soup, cream, cheese, cheddar, vegetarian, pureed
Hillary
I absolutely love how you showed us the entire recipe in one quick video. This seems so easy. Can't wait to try it!
(And thanks for the gluten-free option. The second I saw the flour my heart sank and then I was thrilled when you instantly gave me a gluten-free option!)
Coley
Awesome, I'm so glad! You can also substitute a good quality gluten free flour blend too if need be. Hope you make it and love it!
pcfs
I will try this for sure. I can taste the broccoli soup. Thanks Nicole/
Coley
Awesome! You're so welcome 🙂
Rita Christine
One of my favorite soups! Thanks for the gluten-free tip also!
Coley
Yay! You can also substitute a good quality gluten free flour blend too 🙂
Lorraine "Lolo"
Thanks for reminding me how easy it is to make. I also make a cheddar cream of cauliflour the same way but I use less cream and add low sodium chicken or veggie broth.
Angela
Good one! And love the video!
Coley
thanks!